Look at your professional life in the theater – outside of what you’re doing to make a living. What have you done so far?

In the 2018 Lab we were interested in making it possible for directors to try something they haven’t yet done, with the support, expertise and encouragement of others who might know something about what they dream of trying to do.

The lab directors, in turn, offered their experience and artistry to others.

Most of the directors in the 2018 had already begun a life in the professional theater focusing on doing one kind of work: new plays of a certain kind – perhaps plays on the short side, with a focus on realism and family dynamics. Or adaptations, assisting on classics, plays for young people, directing events, or doing devised work.

They yearned to try their hand at something totally different, something they liked to experiment with and talk with others about with the goal of adding it to their repertoire. We looked for experimenters among the Lab applicants and also the master artists we invited- the urge to change and grow doesn’t end once a career is established. Among all the 2018 lab directors, designers, actors, and master artists, we found roles as explorers AND as experts who have information and experience to share.